Coin lifting clamp



1966 H. Q. MILLER 3,281,179

COIN LIFTING CLAMP Filed Jan. 18, 1965 INVENTOR. 442 V6? (2 M/ufiz United States Patent 3,281,179 COIN LIFTING CLAMP Harvey Q. Miller, Rochester, Minn., assignor to Bemco, Iuc., Rochester, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Filed Jan. 18, 1965, Ser. No. 426,259 12 Claims. (Cl. 294-16) This invention relates to new and novel improvements in a device for picking up and holding coins while readily permitting visually inspecting substantially all of the top or bottom surface of a coin. More particularly this invention relates to a device for picking up various size coins of conventional sizes from a flat surface without having to manually handle the coin and to firmly grip a coin so that the user may visually inspect either side of the coin without manually touching the coin.

In recent years the hobby of coin collecting has become much more widespread. Frequently coin collectors desire to be able to visually inspect opposite sides of the coin while at the same time avoiding touching the surface of the coin. This is particularly true in matched and polished sets wherein natural oils etc. normally on the fingers of the collect-or would leave a print on the coin. In order to pick up coins and other objects of varying sizes from a flat surface without the coin collector having to bodily touch a coin, this invention has been made.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a new and novel coin clamp useable for picking up a coin from a generally fiat surface and firmly hold the coin in position so that the user of the clamp can visually inspect either side of the coin without having to touch the coin. A further object of this invention is to provide a new and novel clamp of the aforementioned nature that is usable for picking up coins of substantially different sizes. Another object of this invention is to provide a new and novel coin clamp that is readily useable for picking up coins of sizes such as half dollars, and equally useable for picking up smaller coins such as dimes and quarters from a flat surface and firmly hold the coins in a clamped position until the device has been operated to release the coin.

Other and further objects are those inherent in the invention herein illustrated, described and claimed, and will become apparent as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, this invention then comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

The invention is illustrated with reference to the drawings in which corresponding numerals refer to the same parts and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the coin clamp of this invention in a datum condition;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical cross section-a1 view generally taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 22 of FIGURE 1 to illustrate the pivotal connection of the clamp legs;

FIGURE 3 is a further enlarged vertical cross sectional view generally taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 33 of FIGURE 1 to illustrate a portion of the jaw structure for clampingly holding a relatively small coin;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary horizontal cross sectional view generally taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 44 of FIGURE 3 to further illustrate a portion of the jaw structure for holding small coins and also a portion of the jaw structure for holding a larger com;

FIGURE 5 is a transverse vertical elevational view generally taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 5-5 of FIGURE 1 to still further illustrate the structure of the clamp jaws;

FIGURE 6 is a transverse cross sectional View generally taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 66 of FIGURE '1 of the jaw portion for clampingly holding a large coin, said view showing in solid lines a coin in abutting relationship with a flat surface and in dotted lines illustrating the coin in an elevated clamped position;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary enlarged perspective view of one of the jaws; and

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary view of a jaw portion of the coin clamp at right angles to that of FIGURES 1-6 to show the relationship of the jaws picking up a small coin from a flat surface in solid lines, and in dotted lines illustrating the relative positions of the jaws to the coin after the coin has been picked up and is being held by the clamp.

For purposes of facilitating the description of the invention, it will be assumed that the coin clamp of FIG- URES 1-6 is laying on a flat horizontal surface.

Now referring to FIGURE 1, the coin clamp of this invention comprises a pair of substantially identical constructed, longitudinally elongated, clamp members, generally designated 11 and 12 respectively, that are pivotally connected together in oppositely faced relationship by a pivot member 13 that is extended through the ears 14 of said members. Each of the members 11 and 12 include an elongated leg 15 which has an ear 14 about half the thickness of the leg projecting transversely outwardly therefrom. Each of the ears has a curved surface 14 such as illustrated in FIGURE 1 .that bears (or approaches bearing) against the generally planar surface of the opposite leg, the pivotal connection between the legs being more closely adjacent one end of the leg (rear end 15a) than the opposite end. Each of the legs is provided with an aperture 16 adjacent the rearward end thereof for receivingly seating the respective end portion of a coin spring 17 that constantly urges the forward ends of the legs to move together to an abutting position such as illustrated in FIGURE 1.

The forward end of each of the legs is integrally joined to the rearward end portion of a jaw 18. The jaws in plan view, when the forward end portions of the legs 15 are in abutting relationship to each other, are configurated such that the jaws in a longitudinal forward direction between reference designations between A and B first diverge from one another and thence converge toward one another. The radii of curvature of the diverging portions are substantially greater than that of the converging portions. As may be noted the forward end portions of the jaws are substantially spaced from one another in a datum condition even when the forward end portions of the legs are in abutting relationship as shown in FIGURE 1. The arcuate portion of the jaws between A and B is provided for clampingly retaining a large coin such as a silver dollar or a fifty cent piece; and will hereinafter be referred to as a large coin jaw portion. Assuming that the coin clamp is in a general horizontal condition parallel to the surface such as a table 19 as illustrated in FIGURE 6, the

jaws between locations adjacent A and B in transverse horizontal cross sections include inclined ramp surface portions 20 that diverge away from one another in an upward direction for about one half of the thickness of the jaws and thence along surface portion 21 converge toward one another. Advantageously the included angle between surfaces 20, 21 would be -120. Thus surfaces 20, 21 provide a longitudinally extending arcuately curved groove of a maximum depth along a 'line 22 intermediate oppositely faced surfaces 23 and rotated 180 about a horizontal axis from the position of FIGURE 6, surface 21 likewise provides a relatively sharp edge that will slide along the surface 19. The

curvature of the aforementioned edges is such that when the legs are pivoted against the action of the spring 17 to spread the jaws apart, said edges will be spread apart sufli-ciently that a relative large coin such as a silver dollar or a half dollar laying flat on the surface 19 may be located in spaced relation to said edges. At the same time the curvature of the aforementioned edges is such that when the manual pressure on the legs is released such that the action of the spring 17 moves the large coin jaw portions together, the upwardly diverging ramp surfaces will elevate relative large coin to be positioned in the grooves provided by surfaces 20, 21 such as indicated in dotted line 6, and thence the jaws will firmly retain the relatively large coin in said grooves. Further the curvature of the grooves (20, 21) is such that when the coin is in a clamped condition, it will be held against movement relative surfaces 20, 21 including in the plane of lines 22.

The outer end portion of the jaws that are located longitudinally between points B and E of FIGURE 1 are provided for picking up and clamping retaining a relatively small coin such as a dime, nickel or quarter, and hereinafter will be referred to as small coin jaw portions. Each of the small coin jaw portions includes generally planar surface portions 26 33 respectively of triangular configuration which intersect at a common point P such as illustrated in FIGURE 5 to provide four angular teeth that generally project toward the corresponding teeth of the other jaw. As may be noted from FIGURE 3, when the jaws are in a datum position of FIGURE 1, the points P are further apart than any portion of the corresponding by number surface portions 26-33 respectively. That is the planes of surface portions 30 and 31 are inclined to diverge outwardly from one another in a direction horizontally outwardly of their juncture along bent line 36 as do the planes of surface portions 27 and 26. Likewise the plane of surface portion 30 diverges away from the plane of the surface portion 27 in the direction horizontally outwardly of the juncture of bent line 37 as does the planes of surface portions 31 and 26. The bent line 37 is located in a vertical plane while bent line 36 is located in a horizontal plane, the apexes of lines 36, 37 intersecting at point P. Additionally each of bent lines 36 and 37 form an included obtuse angle. As a result there is provided a horizontal first trough (30, 31) and a horizontal second trough (27, 26), each of the aforementioned troughs being inclined inwardly into the jaw to the intersect at point P.

Surface portions 28 and 29 also diverge from one another in the direction horizontally outwardly from the junction at bent line 37 as do surface portions 33 and 32. Also the plane of surface portion 29 diverges from the plane of the surface portion 32 in the direction horizontally outwardly from the juncture along bent line 36 as does the plane of surface portion 28 diverge away from the plane of surface portion 33. Thus there is provided a third trough (28, 29) and a fourth trough (32, 33) which intersect at point P and diverge outwardly from one another in a direction away from point P. As a result surface portions 29, 30 and the adjacent parts of surface portions 21and 23 provide a first tooth; surface portion 31, 32 and the adjacent parts of surface portions 20, 24 provides a second tooth. Likewise surface portion 27 and 28 in part provides a third tooth, while surface portions 26 and 33 in part 4 provide a fourth tooth, the points of the teeth of each jaw being located at what would constitute the corners of a rectangular figure. Also the points of each corresponding pair of teeth of the jaws in a datum condition are spaced substantially the same distance apart.

The structure of the invention having been described, the use thereof will now be set forth. Assuming that a relatively large coin such as a fifty cent piece 46 is to be picked up from the surface 19, the rearward ends 15a of the clamp members 11 and 12 are pinched together to cause the jaws to spread apart (pivot in the direction of the arrows 42 and 43 respectively about the pivot 13). The coin clamp is then moved to a generally horizontal condition such that the surfaces 24 extend generally parallel to the table, the surface portions 24 being moved into abutting engagement with the table with the coin located horizontally intermediate the large coin clamp jaw portions. Releasing the grasping pressure on the rearward ends of the clamp members, the coin spring resiliently urges the large coin clamp jaw portions together which results in inclined ramp surfaces 20 also moving together. As the ramp surfaces 20 are inclined generally upwardly and outwardly from one another and each of the surfaces 20 at the intersection with the table provides a relatively sharp edge, the jaws in moving together bring said edges into abutting engagement with the lowermost portion of the circumferential edge of the coin; and upon moving closer together, elevate the coin into the troughs provided by surface portions 20 and 21. Through the provision of these troughs this coin is firmly held by the jaws while at the same time permitting a major portion of the circular surfaces of the coin to be visually inspected, surfaces 21 limiting the elevating movement of the coin due to their being included oppositely of surfaces 20. The coin can be released by again manually pinching the outer ends of the clamp members 11 and 12 together.

In the event that a relatively small coin such as a dime or a quarter is to be inspected, then the coin clamp is held so that the direction of elongation of the clamp members are generally vertical to the surface on which the relatively small coin is resting (partially illustrated in FIGURE 8). With the small coin clamp jaws spread apart, the coin clamp is lowered to bring the third and fourth tooth portions into abutting relationship with the table on which the coin is resting and is moved horizontally relative the coin such that a vertical plane of bent lines 36 is at least nearly coextensive with the diameter of the coin 50. Now upon manually releasing the gripping pressure on the rearward end of the coin clamp, the coil spring urges the small coin jaw portions together which results in coin 50 being elevated by ramp surfaces 28, 33 to the elevation of the bent line 37, ramp surfaces 29, 32 limiting the elevating movement. Due to the previously described relative inclinations of surface portions 29, 32, 23 and 28, the coin is prevented from slipping in either a horizontal direction or a vertical direction relative the jaws.

It is also possible to use the coin clamp of this invention to pick up a small coin and retain it by using the coin clamp in a position at right angles to that described in the preceding para-graph. That is when the coin clamp is in a generally horizontal condition such as illustrated in FIG- URE 3 with the surf-aces 24 abutting against the table 19, surface portions 26, 31 provide ramp surfaces which upon the closing of the jaw mem bers elevate the coin to be substantially planar and directly opposite bent lines 36. At the same time surface portions 27, 30 limit the elevating movement of the coin resulting from the closing of the jaw members. Also since surface portions 30 and 31, and 26 and 27 of each jaw member diverge away from one another relative a common plane of the bent lines 37 and extend more closely adjacent correspondingly numbered surface portion of the opposite jaw member, the coin is firmly held such that the circumferential surface of the coin is closely adjacent the bent lines 36 (this also being applicable relative a plane through bent lines 37 and a coin clamped .as' indicated in the preceding paragraph). Although the small coin jaw portions are primarily for picking up small coins, they can be used to pick up relatively large coins such as half dollars.

To be noted is that when the surfaces 23 abut against the table, the ramp surfaces 21 provide relatively sharp edges adjacent the table that correspond to edges 20a and which are located in a plane that is parallel to the plane of lines 22 and to the plane of edges 20a. Further bent lines 36 lie in the same plane as lines 22 while each of lines 37 lie in a plane that extends at right angles to the plane of lines 22. Additionally the plane of curved lines 22 is perpendicular to the plane of the pivot axis.

Merely as indication of an example of the size of a coin clamp of this invention the following dimensions are set forth. With the coin clamp in position illustrated in FIGURE 1 and dimension lines extending at right angles to a vertical plane passed through points A and E, the dimension between the dimension lines through E and F is four inches, between dimension lines of A and B is one and one eighth inches, and the dimension between dimension lines through A and E is 1 /2 inches. The thickness dimension between surfaces 23 and 24 is A inch and the dimension X of FIGURE 3 is inch, as is the depth D of the groove formed by surfaces 20 and 21 (see FIGURE 6). In a datum condition the dimension between points P is approximately seven sixteenths of an inch and points E is approximately three sixteenths of an inch. In a maximum jaw spread apart position, the dimension between points P is approximately two and three sixteenths inches. The maximum dimension between the furthest apart points of edges 20a along a line parallel to line 6-6 of FIG- URE 1 with the jaws in a datum position is of an inch. Advantageously the clamp members are made of plastic.

To be mentioned is that the device of this invention can be used as a holder clamp for dipping and cleaning coins in cleaning solutions; and for other applications such as clamping or holding glued objects together (for example, in the model car and airplane hobby field); and in industrial applications for picking up objects which should not be handled and touched with the human hands; in the photography field for handling photos; and other applications.

As many widely apparent different embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the specific embodiments herein.

What I claim is:

1. A clamp for picking up coins and similar type objects in a generally horizontal condition from a generally fiat surface and releasably clamping the picked up coin comprising a pair of longitudinally elongated clamp members each having a leg, each leg having an end portion, and a jaw having one end portion joined to the leg end portion to move therewith, means for connecting said legs together for movement between a position the jaws are spread apart and a datum second position where the jaws are more closely adjacent one another, and means for resiliently acting on the clamp members to move the jaws toward said second position, said jaws being arcuately curved in a longitudinal direction away from said legs to first diverge from one another and then converge and having longitudinally elongated arcuate grooved portions facing one another, each grooved portion having oppositely inclined ramp surfaces, the corresponding ramp surface of each jaw when the jaws are moved toward said second position against a coin on said fiat surface acting to elevate the coin off said flat surface and clampingly retain the coin in said grooves.

2. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that said jaws have generally facing end portions opposite said legs that are spaced apart in said datum position less than the diameter of the coin to be picked up, said jaws opposite end portions each having a trough porteeth of each jaw being located at a corner of a rectangular geometric figure.

4. The structure of claim 2 further characterized in that .said jaw opposite end portions have troughs extending at. generally right angles to the first mentioned troughs.

5. A clamp for picking up a coin in a generally horizontal condition from a generally flat surface and releasably clamping the picked up coin comprising a pair of longitudinally elongated clamp members each having a leg, each leg having an end portion, and a jaw having one end portion joined to the leg end portion to move therewith, means for connecting said legs together for movement between a position the jaws are spread apart and a datum second position where the jaws are more closely adjacent one another, and means for resiliently acting on the clamp members to move the jaws toward said second position, said jaws being arcuately curved in a longitudinal direction away from said legs to first diverge from one another and then converge, said jaws having opposite end portions that at least in part in a datum position are spaced apart less than the diameter of the coin to be picked up, each of the jaws opposite end portions having a first, a second, a third and a fourth inclined ramp surface, each jaw first and second ramp surfaces intersecting along a first common line to provide a first trough, and third and fourth ramp surfaces intersecting along a second common line lying in a plane of the first common line to provide a second trough, said common lines intersecting at a point and diverging from one another in a direction away from said point, each trough of one jaw end portion generally facing a corresponding trough of the other jaw end portion.

6. The structure of claim 5 further characterized in that said jaw opposite end portions each include third and fourth troughs that extend at generally right angles to to the first mentioned troughs, that intersect one another and that diverge from one another in a direction away from their intersection with one another.

7. The structure of claim 6 further characterized in that each of the third and fourth troughs includes two intersecting ramp surfaces that diverge in a direction away from their intersection.

8. The structure of claim 6 further characterized in that the jaw arcuately curved portions have longitudinally elongated grooved portions, each grooved portion having intersecting inclined surfaces that diverge away from one another outwardly of their intersection.

9. The structure of claim -8 further characterized in that each groove-d portion inclined surface has a relatively sharp edge substantially located in a single plane on its respective side of the intersection of the grooved portion inclined surfaces, that the maximum transverse dimension between corresponding edges of the jaws sharp edges in the datum condition is less than the diameter of a relatively large coin and substantially greater than the minimum transverse dimension between said jaws opposite end portions.

10. A clamp for selectively picking up a relatively large coin and a relatively small coin in a generally horizontal condition from a generally fiat surface and releasably clamping the picked up coin comprising a pair of longitudinally elongated clamp members of substantially identical construction, each having a leg, each leg having an end portion, and a jaw having one end portion joined to the leg end portion to move therewith, means for pivotally connecting said clamp members together in oppositely faced relationship for movement between a position the 7 jaws are spread apart and a datum second position where the jaws are more closely adjacent one another and means for resiliently acting on the clamp members to move the jaws toward said second position, said jaws having large coin clamp portions arcuately curved in a longitudinal direction away from said legs to 'first diverge from one another and then converge and each in transverse cross section having inclined ramp surfaces that intersect along a common line and diverge from one another outwardly of said common line, and said jaws having small coin jaw portions, said small coin jaw portions including means for selectively picking up a small coin from said flat surface as the clamp members move from said first position toward said second position and holding said small coin to be generally parallel to a plane of both the common lines.

11. The structure of claim 10 further characterized in that said small coin jaw portions include means for selectively picking up a relatively small coin when the clamp members are moved from said first position toward said second position and holding it at right angles to said plane of both common lines.

12. The structure of claim 11 further characterized in that said small coin jaw portions means includes for each jaw eight inclined ramp surfaces that substantially intersect at a common point and that are inclined to form four troughs, the common points being further apart than corresponding parts of the respective means ramp surfaces when the clamp members are in a datum position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,668,538 2/1954 Baker 2941l8 X 2,814,963 12/1957 Harrington 294--118 X MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

G. F. ABRAHAM, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A CLAMP FOR PICKING UP COINS AND SIMILAR TYPE OBJECTS IN A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL CONDITION FROM A GENERALLY FLAT SURFACE AND RELEASABLY CLAMPING THE PICKED UP COIN COMPRISING A PAIR OF LONGITUDINALLY ELONGATED CLAMP MEMBERS EACH HAVING A LEG, EACH LEG HAVING AN END PORTION, AND A JAW HAVING ONE END PORTION JOINED TO THE LEG END PORTION TO MOVE THEREWITH, MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID LEGS TOGETHER FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN A POSITION THE JAWS ARE SPREAD APART AND A DATUM SECOND POSITION WHERE THE JAWS ARE MORE CLOSELY ADJACENT ONE ANOTHER, AND MEANS FOR RESILIENTLY ACTING ON THE CLAMP MEMBERS TO MOVE THE JAWS TOWARD SAID SECOND POSITION, SAID JAWS BEING ARCUATELY CURVED IN A LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID LEGS TO FIRST DIVERGE FROM ONE ANOTHER AND THEN CONVERGE AND HAVING LONGITUDINALLY ELONGATED ARCUATE GROOVED PORTIONS FACING ONE ANOTHER, EACH GROOVED PORTION HAVING OPPOSITELY INCLINED RAMP SURFACES, THE CORRESPONDING RAMPSURFACE OF EACH JAW WHEN THE JAWS ARE MOVED TOWARD SAID SECOND POSITION AGAINST A COIN ON SAID FLAT SURFACE ACTING TO ELEVATE THE COIN OFF SAID FLAT SURFACE AND CLAMPINGLY RETAIN THE COIN IN SAID GROOVES. 